South African revolt aimed at economic apartheid
An uneasy calm hung over South Africa after 25,000 army troops were deployed to assist police responding to unrest in the country. The social eruptions, riots, destruction of businesses and clashes with police began July 8 when former President Jacob Zuma started serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court. “Supporters in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal set...
Inequality, insecurity and a major crisis
Mayhem, deadly violence and pillaging that shook South Africa in days of public unrest were deliberate, President Cyril Ramaphosa alleged while visiting affected areas. “It is quite clear that all these incidents of unrest and looting were instigated,” said Mr. Ramaphosa. “There were people who planned it and coordinated it,” he said on July 16. President Ramaphosa spoke at the...
Launching a collective for African renewal
In April of 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, a collective of 100 African intellectual leaders published an open letter addressing the continents leaders. A year later, after much interest was sparked, they formed the Collective for African Renewal (CORA) under the leadership of political scientist Amy Niang, lawyer Lionel Zevounou and Senegalese-based economist Dr. Ndongo Samba...
America and a history of failure in South Sudan
America and its growing history of incompetence in failed state building in foreign lands is like a father uprooting and leaving babies he is no longer willing to care for. Afghanistan is the United States’ current example of the “Papa was a rolling stone” analogy. Before that we had South Sudan, another failed U.S. nation state building venture. And...
Biafra leader faces trial for secessionist activities
(GIN)--The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested in London and returned to Nigeria where he faces trial for leading a secessionist movement in south-east Nigeria in 1967 which was met with a declaration of war by the Nigerian government, 30 years of fighting and more than a million deaths. Nnamdi Kanu, a British national who...
Discontent in Sudan increasing, protesters demand dissolving transitional government
Dissatisfaction with government in Sudan is growing. Zakia Muhammad Sadeeg, a former schoolteacher and current executive member of the Sudan Future Campaign (Party), said to Africa Watch via phone from her home in Khartoum that “activists” are calling for demonstrations on the second anniversary of the massacre of peaceful protesters gathered outside Sudan’s military headquarters. Ms. Sadeeg said she’s...
Is Western Press Africa’s enemy?
The first thing to notice about how Africa is covered or portrayed by Western mainstream media is that in most cases it is not. According to fairobserver.com, “Studies of major internationally focused Western (U.S., UK, France) news outlets (newspapers and TV) have found that Africa tends to account for roughly 6 % to 9 % of the total amount...
U.S. role in Africa driven by lust for resources, not fear of terrorism
The senior military leader of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently expressed fears of an increasing danger of terrorist groups active throughout the continent. But the reality behind why the U.S. is moving in the Motherland is not linked solely to fear of terrorists. General Stephen J. Townsend expressed concerns to journalists at the completion of U.S. led war...
Africa’s largest journalism organization condemns Israeli human rights violations
The continent’s largest journalist organization, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), recently called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against journalists and media outlets during its recent attacks in Gaza and elsewhere in occupied Palestine. The call came at a conference hosted by President Nana Akufo of Ghana. The conference was organized by the FAJ...
Ghana foresees end to neocolonial trading relationships starting with cocoa
(GIN)—At a state visit to Switzerland last year, Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo put his cards on the table. The second largest cocoa producer would no longer ship the raw material to Switzerland if by doing so, it would trap the country in poverty for the next century. Ghana and the Ivory Coast supply 70 percent of the cocoa beans, but...